


She Felt Loved For The First Time.

by readytomcf_ckingdie



Category: Original Work
Genre: Adoption, Bullying, Humans and Entities, Non-human characters, Origin Story, Original Character(s), Other, This is how Steph got adopted
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:47:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26770882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/readytomcf_ckingdie/pseuds/readytomcf_ckingdie
Summary: Basically, Steph gets adopted after what happened.
Relationships: Dimitri Elveswood & Stephanie "Steph" Taillister, Stephanie "Steph" Taillister & Demarcus "Marcus" Holluby, Terrell Parker & Dimitri Elveswood
Kudos: 1





	She Felt Loved For The First Time.

**Author's Note:**

> These are my original characters and I love them. I hope you do too. This is how Steph met her adopted dad.

“Hey, two faced!”

Stephanie was brought out of her thoughts by the unpleasant remark. She looked up, one hand running over the scales that were a heritage from her mother. She hated the nickname, but the other kids probably knew that already. She wished she knew why her parents didn't want her around anymore.

“...m'hm?” She hummed, pondering on what sort of onslaught of questions they could possibly have for her. She briefly tried to figure out if there was any left to ask anyway. After all they had done this multiple times over the time she's been at the orphanage. It's only been two years, but the eight year old felt it was longer than that.

“Why did your parents, like.. give you up?”

She felt her tail stiffen behind her. Of course it had been one of the older kids. He was probably just upset that the first home didn't work out, she reminded herself. Though she couldn't stop the envious thought of why he got to go and she didn't. She knew why.

When her parents put her up for adoption at six, they had decided to be cruel. Steph wasn't sure why they had but they left her in the care of the only orphanage that was more known for the humans rather than entities. Most people assumed there were no entities here at all. No others like her had been sent here and she wasn't sure how to feel about it. Sure, the caretakers were nice to her, but visitors only came for the humans and acted weirded out by the small demon’s presence.

Idiots.

She casted her gaze up to the boy who had inquired - and phrased so horribly - the almost accusation. She recognized him. Demarcus Holluby, whom they all called Marcus, almost loomed over her. If she could she would activate her growth spurt, but she was only eight. She had no idea why the other always asked her mean and honestly pointless questions. He was twelve, shouldn’t he be more interested in other things like football? She didn’t get it.

Nonetheless, she couldn’t blame him. She knew that the generalised rule was that the older you got, the less likely you’d get to have a home. She knew he’d been in a home before and that he’d been brought back last week, of course he was going to be upset still. It didn’t mean she had to tear him down like one of the others did.

“Hello? Anyone there?” He murmured, and by the irritated tinge in his tone Steph could tell that he’d start shoving if she didn’t answer.

“I..” She pushed past a lump in her throat, “I don’t know…” 

Except she did. She knew why, but he didn’t need to. Heck, even she was still making sense of it and it had been two years. All she remembered was the screaming, crying and dragging to the car. They decided that she wasn’t useful and that was that. Useless kids are unwelcome, she supposed. Didn’t mean it hurt any less, though. Regardless, they never came back so she just dropped the subject and focused on making friends.

Well, trying to. It wasn’t going so well.

“Of course you don’t, you’re too young and stupid to realise they didn’t want you.” Marcus shrugged with a huff.

Oh, how words were cruel. Steph blankly gazed up at him, wondering why she had to be a target of the harshness. Even her silver tongue wasn’t so bad. He crossed his arms and she sat up on the bench. Subtly eyeing the currently-being-used playground equipment, she answered his statement.

“...I know tha’.” She whispered softly, earning his hand roughly pushing her shoulder into the hardwood. She yelped and he laughed at the noise.

“Good. I’m gonna get adopted again soon, just you wait! You’ll be stuck here all alone!”

As if that would be a problem.

She was used to the loneliness of the room - no one wanted to share with her after one nightmare caused her wings to sprout into existence and send her into the ceiling. She couldn’t help if they came out when she didn’t want them to sometimes, no one was teaching her. They refused to after she accidentally burnt a clipboard out of rage once.

She barely caught his last remark before he darted off laughing. She could only assume it was a snake-based insult.

Sighing, she pulled her knees up and hugged them, wondering what it would be like to be human - or at least look like one. 

-

That thought recirculated a few days later when the caretakers had taken them to the park for the day. As usual, she was sitting on the bench next to the head of the staff when she caught sight of a small group of people. Steph watched as they spray-painted a wall nearby. It looked beautiful - she had always loved art and had been drawing since she could really remember. Furthermore, what piqued her interest was that one of the males that weren’t painting and just there for show was wearing a mask that covered half of his face. It didn’t catch much interest but Steph thought it looked awesome.

Her admiration must have been noticed as the group approached to talk to the kids. The main three were talking about their passions to the human kids, while the one Steph had been watching approaching. She instinctively tensed up with a slight whimper - expecting berating or insults. Instead, the stranger sat next to her after a nod from the caretaker.

“Hey there.” He smiled. Steph waved in response, “So I saw you were watching us painting? You like art?”

She smiled softly and nodded. This was one of the first times a stranger has been nice to her and she could feel her tail flicking about calmly. She handed him the sketchbook she had been working in. He turned through it, expressing how much he liked it even though they both knew they were mostly scribbles. Legible, but scribbles regardless. He handed it back after a moment with a chuckle.

“I think you can do some good things with that when you’re older, kiddo.”

“Really?” She squeaked.

He nodded, holding up a hand for a high five. She returned it with a grin. She then pointed to the mask over the half of his face, tilting her head, “Where’d you get that?”

“Oh, this? It’s something I got from the store.” He gently removed it, revealing quite the burn mark, “I know how it feels to have judgement because of your appearance. But, hey. It gets better. You just gotta accept it.” He cradled the small thing in his hands before pausing, “Actually..” He reached over and placed it on the serpent-demon’s face.

“I know it’s not the best thing but it’ll help with the snake teasing.” 

Steph felt herself beam and nod, her wings appearing out of nowhere and flapping happily, “Thank you.. So much, mister.” She readjusted the plastic to sit comfortably on her face, “I’ll protect it with my life.”

“Good thing, kiddo.” He smiled, letting her high five him before he stood up, “You’re a great listener. I think you’ll get adopted soon.” He winked with a shrug as he turned and walked back with his group to where they were painting. Steph was in awe - the happiest she’d been in a while.

-

“D- Dee- Dimitri!” Called Terrell as he entered the office.

The office was as usual - both calm but also hard at work. It was also mixed, letting both humans and entities work together in confidence as the town was still deciding it’s views on the non-human kind. It was promising though - as the election coming up would be an anti-entity against an entity. People were excited.

Terrell smiled as he reached his co-worker’s cubicle. The forest elf glanced up from his files and swiveled around to face him with a calm chuckle. He knew the human had just come back from his break - the ones that he usually spent with the group he hung out with - and was beaming more than usual. Moreover, Dimitri noticed the lack of mask over his friend’s burns. Pointed ears perking up, he quirked a brow.

“Hey, Ter.” He greeted simply as he leant back in his chair, “What’s got you in a good mood?”

“Well..” He redid his tie as he rambled, “So you know how you’re looking to adopt a kid?”

“Yeah?” 

Dimitri wasn’t sure if he liked where this was going, now. Though he supposed he should hear the guy out as he was out of breath like he had run here.

“There is an orphanage near here.”

-

He couldn’t believe he was doing this.

Well, yeah, Dimitri had to admit that he was looking into adoption. He had discussed with Terrell about it after all but he was still only considering it. He wasn’t actually actively going to meet kids - he had been too busy lately.

However, his friend seemed really adamant on the orphanage he had recommended. Terrell had said that there was a girl there that Dimitri would be an amazing father to. He refused to tell him who, though. He originally disputed it but as much as Dimitri hated to admit it Terrell could be right about these sorts of things sometimes. So as a result here Dimitri was, parking his car and getting out. He glanced up at the building and shuddered. Poor kids.

He had biological parents, sure. He had never been in the situation that these one are in currently. He felt guilty, how he could have an amazing upbringing when these young ones have either been taken here by their parents or their parents died. He almost wondered how it felt like before he shook his head with a huff. He was here to meet the kids, not try and analyse their minds.

He made his way up to the door and knocked. It was around 8pm as he had just finished work. It was Terrell’s begging all the way to his car that made him show up. He glanced up at the cool air, noting how dark it was becoming now that it was approaching the winter months. It made him wonder if the kids inside got Christmas or Halloween at all.

He was pulled from his daydreaming by the caretaker. Dimitri smiled with a small wave as she quirked a brow.

“Hello there, sir. Can I help you? We don’t get many visitors at night..” She murmured, eyeing him almost suspiciously.

“Hi- yes, I’m sorry about that. I work late.” He justified, “I was wondering if I could meet the kids- or some of them?”

“Well, I’m sorry but-” The lady began to say as another voice interjected her reply.

“Anne!” Called one of her co-workers.

Anne grumbled slightly as the other approached the door with a friendly smile, “Dimitri Elveswood?” She questioned. Dimitri’s ears perked.

“How do you-”

“We had a caller a few moments ago. He said you were coming.” She smiled, elbowing Anne who rolled her eyes and headed back to her desk, “Ignore her, she’s cranky. I’m Sabrina.”

“Oh, it’s not an issue, it happens.” The elf shrugged casually, “Nice to meet you too. Did Terrell explain why I was coming?”

“Oh, he did. He’s a regular here. We know he can’t adopt currently so he visits the kids to tell them about his spray painting hobby with his group.” Sabrina explained as she let him in and led him into the main area. He glanced around at the childishly-scrawled posters on the wall, smiling to himself slightly.

“I’m aware. He loves rambling about it at work.” He replied with a chuckle, “That’s what got me so interested because I’ve… y’know, been looking into adopting a kid.”

“You’re a lucky man, then! We have a few good kids here. You’ll enjoy their company at the very least.” She shrugged and pushed open a set of doors, into a large main area.

There were a handful of kids either talking or settling down for the night - Dimitri had forgotten how tired the little ones could be after a long day. According to Terrell they had been at the park for a good few hours. That much daylight could do quite a bit to a small child.

Some of them noticed him but otherwise not many felt up to coming and asking him ten hundred questions. He watched them quietly as Sabrina checked up on one of the kids. The elf raised a brow when he looked over.

The kid wasn’t human. 

He was slightly confused by that fact. He thought that this orphanage was human-only - wait, was this the girl Terrell meant by “the one he’d want to see”? He shrugged internally, heading over after the small one waved. He sat beside her when Sabrina left her side.

Two yellow horns and matching spearhead-tail, accompanied a human-looking face with what he easily spotted as Terrell’s old mask on the right side of her face. He offered a friendly smile which she shyly returned.

They sat in a comfortable silence for a short while before he heard the small voice come from the eight-year-old.

“...Hi?”

The forest elf turned his head to her with a slightly raised brow, “Hello.” He greeted with a small wave, “You’re the girl my friend gave his mask to. It suits you.” He smiled gently. 

Steph looked up at him quietly, her tail swishing about in a calmer manner, “R- Really? I don’t like my face…” She admitted quietly as she fiddled with her dungarees. Dimitri felt his smile fall slightly. How could she? She seemed so sweet.

Instead of telling her what the caretakers probably have already, that she has no reason, he shrugged softly.

“I don’t really like mine, either. You’re not alone there.”

“But y’re not half-serpent.” Steph mumbled, gasping as Dimitri smiled and turned his head, revealing a small scar that ran from just under the left side of his mouth and almost to his collarbone. They made eye contact and he smiled.

“I used to be a really bad person, basically. Guy got his comeuppance and.. I realised it was wrong.” He murmured with a small sigh. Steph nodded quietly.

“‘m sorry..” She uttered honestly, “I don’t wanna be bad..”

“And you aren’t, sweetheart, I promise.”

They shared a smile and Steph took off her mask, twirling it in her hands subconsciously before the elf grabbed her hands gently, “It’s natural. I think it’s beautiful.” He smiled softly.

The rest of the evening went by smoothly and Steph remembered going to bed overjoyed that she was loved. Dimitri went home and recalled how he might go through with adopting a child.

-

Ever since the elf had visited, the caretakers had noticed the little serpent demon had been slightly more happier. It was relieving as they had been trying for so long, and every time Dimitri visited it seemed to get better. They could tell he was treating her like a daughter even though he hadn’t quite realised it yet. It was sweet.

Everyday Steph would bound up to Sabrina and ask if the forest entity was going to show up. Everyday Sabrina would smile and shrug - but she had begun to notice how Dimitri had begun regularly visiting when Terrell did. She had also caught the tail end of a conversation where Terrel started encouraging his co-worker. She would tell Anne about it and Anne would snort and call that Steph was soon to go. They had even bet on it!

Today that bet was settled.

The elf smiled at the two as he entered. It was his day off- which meant he had shown up earlier than he usually did. It was mid-morning and the kids were outside, running around to keep themselves warmer than the approaching winters. Sabrina sauntered over with a small smile.

“Hey Dimitri.” She smiled. They were really just on casual terms now it had been a few weeks since the first visit. He nodded in greeting.

“Hey uh.. I want to give Steph something, but I’m gonna need your help.”

-

“Is that your new dad?” Marcus interrupted Steph’s thinking. 

She sighed through her nose, “I don’t think he’s gonna adopt me.”

“Yeah, I know.” He scoffed, looming over her once again, “It wasn’t a debate.”

Steph tutted, “n’ your face wasn’t welcomed but here we are.” That earned her a shove and a snarl from the boy, “Hey!” She yelped as he took her beloved sketchbook.

“B.” He snapped, destroying the thing in front of the entity, who growled in frustration and tackled him over.

Now, Steph was normally quite resolved and calm. She hardly ever used violence due to what had happened years ago, with what her parents were like and whatnot. This time, however.. She just snapped. She didn’t know why - maybe it had been because he’d been tormenting her for a little over two years, or possibly because he had just destroyed the only sentimental object she held dear other than the mask she now adorned.

Heck, she hadn’t even noticed how her eyes had turned to blazing orange, a colour that should be warm but yet felt so cold to the boy she was currently pinning. He noted that she had sprouted her wings - something that didn’t happen often but usually when it did it was because of negative emotions. He gulped, slightly wondering why he wasn’t fighting her off before he registered that she was flying upward and dropping him rudely on the roof, leaving him stuck. She sent a flame beside him in case he thought of anything, frightening him to stay there until she-

“Steph!”

She whipped her form around to see the other kids alongside caretakers staring at her in mixed reactions - shock, wonder, fear, disgust- while Marcus sobbed openly. She nearly fried him again before a voice captured her attention. It was Dimitri’s, but he didn’t sound mad.

“Come on, babba..” He murmured, “Bring him back down here, it’s okay. It’s not your fault right now, it’s your genetics…” He cooed, eventually coaxing Steph down to his level and pulling the little girl into his arms while she whimpered at what had happened, breaking into tears. Meanwhile a winged caretaker went to retrieve Marcus from the roof.

Dimitri carried her inside with Anne and Sabrina in tow, into the office. He sat down, bouncing the eight year old as she apologised. He kissed the top of her head, “It’s okay.. You lost your temper. That happens sometimes.. Nothing happened, you’re safe…” He crooned again.

Safe..

-

Despite the unfortunate event and the more unfortunate rejection Marcus would surely give, Dimitri didn’t feel any doubt about what he had been planning for the serpent-demon. He had been filling out the forms ever since Anne took Steph to apologize. He couldn’t help but sigh at what the other young ones would do. He understood where they were coming from, but that didn’t make it right.

He decided it’d be better to talk about Steph’s clear temperament after she settled in. He smiled at her as Sabrina brought her into the office. She climbed onto the chair, a lot calmer since her mini-moment. She waved slightly, fiddling with her sleeves.

“Hey, dearest. Feeling better?” At her nod, he nodded in response and chuckled, “Good, because I think I have something that’ll make you even happier.”

Steph scrunched up her nose in confusion, fiddling with her mask off of her face. She felt confident enough around the caretakers and Dimitri in order to show the scaly side she didn’t want but had gotten anyway. She watched the elder elf chuckle and slide over the top sheet of the pile. Despite being eight years old, Steph did distract herself by reading fact books from the bookshelves because all the other kids thought she could curse the actual stories. She knew a few big words. However she couldn’t think of half of these.

When she looked up for explanation, she got it in the form of noticing Sabrina bringing her little backpack and Anne filing the sheets they had just had. She felt herself grin.

“I get a home?” She squeaked, her wings sprouting and then flapping enough out of excitement to nearly send her into the ceiling. Dimitri nodded and smiled, taking her hand gently.

“You sure do. Want to go home?” He asked, winking. 

Steph bounced on her heels and nodded, squeezing his hand. She waved goodbye to the staff and skipped out, followed by her dad.

Dad..

Yeah, that fits.


End file.
